Enthralling. Thought-provoking. Great fun. I wasn’t expecting this insight. Thank you for something special. This is the way to learn: I wasn’t aware before...

— V. Slowe, Director and curator, The Ruskin Museum

... inspired by Zsuzsanna Ardó artist teaching under William Wordsworth’ watchful eye. The pictures show it to have been a great success.

— J. Cowton, Curator, Wordsworth Museum

Zsuzsanna’s talks are notable for their breadth of information and for their ability to reveal the soul of a culture in an enjoyable and approachable manner... invariably followed by very lively discussions, which showed the high degree of audience involvement. 

— B. & B. On, Publisher

TEACHING AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT INCLUDE

Art on the walls... in ancient caves. Our early ancestors struggled to survive day and night... yet found the time -- and inclination! -- to create art. Why? Art changes the way we look, what we see; it shifts our perspective, clears thinking, clarifies communication, innovates ideas and generates alternative attitudes. Art can enhance our life as individuals and as members of our life's vital context: society.

Teaching and all forms of public engagement are about communicating creatively, investigating ideas, emotions and actions together. This inspiring collaborative process can take different forms, but the intent is essentially the same, be it teaching art, giving talks, workshops, portfolio reviews, creating flash mobs in public spaces or interactive installations inside and outside of the 'white box'.

Some of the feedback about my work in public engagement and education can be read here. My art teaching includes experience working with different age groups and various cultures, including France, Italy, the UK and the US.

Another way to explore the face of London and the landscape of our face: through creativity and climate change, while visiting an artist studio.

UNesco art Camp, Andorra

Teaching colour theory through drawing and painting landscape and self-portrait to school children in the Artists' Atelier of the UNESCO Art Camp.

Featured speaker at the XI Florence Biennale

Invited to talk about sustainability and creativity to the visitors and artists, curators of eARTth, the XI Florence Biennale.

Polar Self Portraits at the Florence Biennale

Four land art installations on the top of the Arctic glacier

that carved out London and the Thames Valley. Polar self Portraits: landscape turned self.. Climate change through art, with public engagement.

Polar self Portraits, the article

Published by openDemocracy.net in December.

The curious case of the Vanishing ice caps

A selection of my Arctic expedition photos and an interview published by Adore Noir, the fine art photography magazine.

polar self portraits: Hudson Valley self

Public engagement through my work as the 2016-17 artist in residence of the innovative C4 Ensemble, featuring paintings from my Hudson Valley Self and Therianthropic series, and three concert cycles premiering three of my poems set to music by contemporary composers. C4 Ensemble auctions some of my paintings to support contemporary creativity and music making in June.

from posed selfie to polar self-portrait

Following the series of Polar self Portraits workshops in North West England, workshops continue in various settings in London. Public engagement venues include the Art Museum at UCL, four workshops at Camden Central Library, and the O2 Centre right next to the edge of the Polar glacier during the last Ice Age. Screening of Polar self Portraits the film at the Salon in London and at Bristol University. Polar self Portraits has also engaged audiences beyond England: Arctic gallery in Greenland, research stations in Antarctica, art festival in France, venues in New York and Washington, an art gallery in Morocco and universities in the Balkan.

POLAR SELFIES IN THE NORTH West OF ENGLAND

Connecting spaces and faces of water through art and climate change. Art workshop, flash mob, pop up by the Irish Sea and the Lake District. Some of the venues include museums such as The Ruskin Museum, the Wordsworth Museum, the Kendal Museum, and the Fleetwood Museum as well sea promenades, market, forest, ferry and the 15th century Red Lion Inn. Public feedback about these public engagement activities about climate change and art include statements from participants, curators and museum directors. Press reports about these workshops and land art installations along the Fylde Coast and in the Lake District.

Would you like to create a sea in the Garden?

Commissioned by local organisations and Buccinasco Council in Milan. Publicengagementthroughart workshops, installation and exhibition in Milan. A series of six drawing workshops at the invitation of Barbara Polesel and the Istituto Comprensivo Rita Levi Montalcini and Scuola Primaria di via 1° Maggio. Exhibition including a series of digital art work based on photography I worked on at the local castello and carovana site, and an installation at Buccinasco Castle.

Polar (self) Portraits

How about a self-portrait? How about a landscape? And how about blending the two, stretching their genre boundaries? Public engagement includes exhibitions, online material, talks, workshops and flash mobs in both usual and unusual spaces.

Venues, partners and sponsors are welcome to get in touch via the Contact Page.

Leaves, Lives

Leaves, Lives is a Creatives without Borders flash mob project, involving schools and the public in France, featured by Boz'Art. Leaves, Lives creates a series of flash mob events.

Coding You, Coding Me is an installation of coded self-portraits, including art workshop about portrait drawing.

Africa, Europe, America

Africa, Europe, America is an international curatorial arts project about the historic triangular relationship between Africa, Europe and America, and its profound impact on the present. I devised the project before going to work twice in the Caribbean as an interactive installation that brings on board 55+ artists and engages the public on several levels. During the two weeks of the exhibition, featured as part of the Boz'Art en Baz'Art art festival inFrance, I worked with several school groups in the gallery of the Château du Bost and with local schools. I very much enjoyed working with the French students and teachers, and the feedback was thrilling. My article about this curatorial project and process – The Calm before the Storm – was published in openDemocracy. AEA in Ateliér Ardó reviewed by the art critic of the largest North London paper. More under Curating.

Arctic Mediterranean at the Nature after Nature public debate, Festival of Ideas, Watershed, Bristol

Arctic on Trafalgar Square, by the National Gallery

Street-turned-gallery session on Trafalgar Square Sunday morning. It turns out that although people may prefer to spend time outside the National Gallery but that does not necessarily mean they do not want to look at and discuss art. Quite the contrary.

Arctic at the Duke of York Column, by the Institute of Contemporary Art

Here There, Now Then: Switch Me On

Part of the Here There, Now Then solo exhibition at the Royal Institution about nature, technology, the Arctic and climate change. Supported by an Arts Council grant. Artist-led tours and discussions.

Nature's Skin for Lunch

Paintings from the Nature's Skin series exhibited during the lunchtime rush hour in the restaurant, perched on one of the highest points of the Heath, carved out by Arctic glaciers. Part of the The Here There, Now Then arts project, supported by an Arts Council grant.

Imaginary Landscape: Lo and Behold, an Olive Tree in the Arctic!

But still try for who knows what's possible (Faraday)

Devising and facilitating a flash mob performance with a group of artists on board of the expedition in the High Arctic. Part of the The Here There, Now Then arts project, supported by an Arts Council grant.

Creatives without Borders installation and exhibition at the British Parliament

Lecturing, public speaking

The Collaborative Cool: London

London is a magnet for millions of us – and counting. Let's collaborate on a list of really cool and free things to do in and about town. Email your suggestions via the Contact Form on this site for The Collaborative Cool, including the nature of the activity, the location and any other relevant info.

In the heat of the Caribbean sun, in the shade of a Caribbean park

Portrait drawing and painting techniques. Art workshops for groups of children in the park. Port au Prince.

We Are More

Illustrated talk and Q&A at the European Artists Conference in Germany.

Why Photography, Why Painting

Illustrated talk and Q & A for school and adult groups. Beaux Art Festival, Bellerive, France.

Tears, Apples and Stones

Large-scale installation about the act and nature of memory, featured by the Contemporary Art Centre by the Danube in Slovakia.